


Leaving

by CustardCreamies



Category: Cabin Pressure
Genre: Fix-It of Sorts, Fluff, Gen, Tiny bit of Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-03
Updated: 2015-02-03
Packaged: 2018-03-10 08:48:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,208
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3284237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CustardCreamies/pseuds/CustardCreamies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Martin attends a leaving party before going to Zurich.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Leaving

**Author's Note:**

> After re-listening to Zurich last night, I felt in need of writing something to help my feelings about the episode.

"Well, that's the last of it" 

Martin sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He looked into the back of Arthur's van and mentally ticked off all the items he had decided needed to come with him to Zurich. He didn't really have a lot of possessions so it hadn't taken him and Arthur that long to pack everything. 

Arthur had been unusually quiet throughout the loading of it all and it worried Martin. 

"Arthur, are you okay?" he asked gently. 

Arthur looked up at the sound of his name and gave a not so convincing smile "oh yeah, Skip, I'm fine" he looked at the ground "I'm just thinking about how brill- about how br- about how nice it'll be for you in Zurich" 

Martin was startled. When Arthur couldn't say "brilliant" (and to Arthur almost everything was bar his father) then there was something bothering him. 

"Arthur, what is it? You can tell me you know" Martin told him. He put his hand on Arthur's shoulder and this caused Arthur to look at him properly and his eyes held such a look of sadness in them that Martin was taken aback. It was then that Arthur drew him into the tightest hug he had ever gotten in his life. 

"Oh, Skip. I'm going to miss you" Arthur said, his voice wavering slightly "I know Zurich is going to be great for you and I don't want you not to go but I'm going to miss you terribly, Skip, we all are" 

Martin felt a lump form in his throat as he hugged Arthur back "Arthur, I'm going to miss you guys as well but I can still visit! When I have a stop over or if I have time off I will come straight down to Fitton to see you all. It's not the end" 

Arthur sniffed and moved away from Martin to wipe his eyes "I know that, Skip. It's just, I'm gonna miss you flying with us and playing all those games. Herc's nice and I like him but he's not you, Skip. He could never be you" 

"Arthur...." at this Martin began to cry and he found himself pulling Arthur back into the hug "I promise, every moment I get, I will visit" 

"You better, Skip" Arthur replied, trying to cheer up. He pulled out of the hug and tried to stop crying. 

"I will, Arthur" Martin said again. He gave Arthur a small smile "now, shall we get going? We're supposed to stop off at the airfield to get your coat?"

Arthur nodded "yeah, I forgot it" 

"Right so, airfield first then" Martin said as he closed the van's doors and walked to the passenger side of the van. As he got in, Arthur jumped into the driver's seat and started the van. Soon they were off to the airfield.

* * *

 

"Come on, Skip, it's this way!"

"I know where we're going, Arthur, I have been to the office before"

"Oh, right" 

They were walking towards the cabin, Arthur leading the way enthusiastically. He had seemed to cheer up more as they got to the airfield. 

Arthur opened the door and Martin walked in first, that was when Arthur turned on the light and 

"SURPRISE!" 

Martin jumped as everyone appeared from where they were hiding, Carolyn, Douglas, Theresa, Herc, Dirk the groundsmen and Carl of ATC. Party streamers littered the office with a banner strung up across the table. It was a leaving party. 

Martin was speechless, but his smile said it all as Theresa ran up to him and gave him a swift kiss. He hugged her to him for a moment before letting her go. 

"Wow! Thank you everyone!" Martin said as Douglas clapped him on the shoulder and Carolyn gave him a hug. 

"You deserve it, Martin. Did you really think we'd let you leave quietly?"Carolyn asked with a smile. 

"What do you think, Skip? I did the banner!" Arthur declared proudly, gesturing to the banner. It certainly had a Arthur flair about it. 

"It's brilliant, Arthur" Martin said as Herc handed him a card. 

"From Carolyn and me, just a little something for you to make a start" Herc said as Martin opened it. Inside was £4,000.

"Oh, I can't except this!" Martin said. His eyes widening at having so much money.

"Oh nonsense, Martin, of course you can. GERT-I is made of gold so don't tell me what I can and can't give you" Carolyn said and she leaned over to whisper "think of it as some of the money I should have been paying you when you were with us" 

"Thank you, really" Martin said softly as he gently put the card in his pocket. 

Then Douglas came up to him and handed him a little wrapped gift "don't open it until you leave" Douglas said "it's just a little something but I hope it'll help you remember us as you soar through the clouds flying 747s" 

"Thank you, Douglas" Martin looked at Douglas for a moment before Douglas said "oh, come here" and pulled him into a hug. Martin hadn't had this many hugs in one day before. 

"I'm going to miss you, sir" Douglas said softly and Martin's heart lurched as he suddenly realised he would never again play a word game with this man in a flight deck. He clutched at Douglas and tried to stop the tears from coming. 

When they pulled apart Martin tried to control himself. Once he was sure he'd wouldn't break into tears he looked at everyone in the room and said "thank you, everyone. To Carolyn who gave me a chance when no one else would, to Arthur for always cheering me up when I was down and to Douglas who taught me more then I could possibly imagine and for giving me the courage to do what I knew I had to do" At this Herc began to clap and soon everyone was cheering for Martin and Martin was stood in the middle, blushing from ear to ear.

* * *

 

The party lasted for a few hours and soon it was time for Martin and Theresa to make their way to the hotel they had booked to stay before catching the flight to Zurich in the morning. Arthur would collect the van from them before they left. 

As Martin was climbing into the van he remembered Douglas' gift. 

He pulled it out of his pocket and opened the wrapping paper. Inside was a small keyring of a lemon. 

"Oh a little lemon keyring! Isn't that the game you used to play? The travelling lemon?" Theresa asked. 

"Yes" Martin replied as he ran his finger over it and gave Theresa a small smile. 

"Oh Martin. I understand how you must be feeling. But you did the right thing. MJN will still continue. It's a new chapter in your life" she gently placed her hand over his and Martin interlaced their fingers. She was right. This was a new chapter in a new book for him. But he would never forget MJN and all that they had taught him. 

Leaning over he gave Theresa a slow and soft kiss before placing the small lemon keyring in his pocket.


End file.
